Salary cap will start QB carousel

DAVE ANDERSON. Dave Anderson is a columnist for the New York TimesCHICAGO TRIBUNE

In what now seems ancient history, during those weeks of non-stop speculation before pro football's draft of college muscle April 24, Kerry Collins, then the Giants' quarterback, was hoping New York would use the fourth choice in the first round to select Robert Gallery, the man-mountain offensive tackle from Iowa.

Collins, understandably, was thinking of self-preservation after a 2003 season of trying to stay alive behind the Giants' decimated offensive line.

But when the Giants acquired touted quarterback Eli Manning, the overall No. 1 choice, in a trade with the San Diego Chargers, they turned Collins' world upside down, or so it seemed at the time. He requested his release, got it, chatted with a few teams and finally joined the Oakland Raiders--who, coincidentally, had taken Gallery with the second choice.

In a roundabout way, Collins will have Gallery as a bodyguard after all when today's NFL quarterback carousel eventually stops.

In their franchise's capitulations to the salary cap, Kurt Warner, Vinny Testaverde and Tim Couch are expected to be liberated Tuesday by the Rams, the Jets and the Browns, respectively. And if the Raiders were to deem Rich Gannon too expensive, his departure could trigger Brad Johnson's release by the Buccaneers.

Warner is expected to join the Giants as their stand-in starter while Manning, the rookie from Ole Miss, learns to recognize all those blitzes and zone coverages he never saw in the Southeastern Conference.

Of all the quarterbacks on the carousel, Warner is the most storied, the most successful and now the most scrutinized. After originally being cut by the Packers, he was an Iowa supermarket stockman and an NFL Europe and Arena Football League star before leading the Rams to a 23-16 victory over the Tennessee Titans in Super Bowl XXXIV. He also took the Rams to the Super Bowl two years later, losing to New England 20-17.

The last two seasons, Warner's thumb and hand injuries affected his 0-8 record, which enabled Marc Bulger to be the Rams' starter.

Having checked out the strength of Warner's passing grip, the Giants appear willing to hire him to hold the fort rather than throwing Manning to the red dogs.

Testaverde has a decision to make, if he hasn't made it already. He can join the Cowboys and his former Jets coach, Bill Parcells, where, even at 40, he might have the opportunity to displace Quincy Carter as the starter; or join the Patriots and his former Browns coach Bill Belichick, where, as Tom Brady's backup, he would have a better opportunity for a Super Bowl ring.

Couch could be the Packers' new clipboard caretaker behind Brett Favre, who has a streak of 208 starts, including playoffs.

Gannon's location could determine where Johnson and two other veteran quarterbacks, Kordell Stewart and Jeff Blake, reside.

New Raiders coach Norv Turner has insisted that Gannon and Collins will duel for the starting job despite their toll on the salary cap. Managing general genius Al Davis reportedly has several expendable Raiders whose absence would make room for two multimillion-dollar quarterbacks.

But some salary-cap realists believe that when the Raiders ask Gannon to restructure his contract, he will decline, request his release and quickly rejoin Jon Gruden, once his Raiders coach, with the Bucs.

Others wonder if the Chargers, who might release Drew Brees, would pursue Gannon. But if Gannon does transfer to the Buccaneers, according to the domino-effect experts, Johnson would then jump to the Baltimore Ravens, where Brian Billick, once his offensive coordinator in Minnesota, is the coach.

If all that happens, it would leave Stewart and Blake looking for jobs, but not to worry. As soon as a quarterback or two is injured in training camp or early in the season, they will be in demand somewhere. Quarterbacks never look for a job in the classified ads.